FBS Notes: Nebraska draws 86,818 for spring game

Nebraska claimed to have the largest attendance for a spring game this year after recording 86,818 fans Saturday in Lincoln.

It was the first time in five years the Cornhuskers have recorded at least 80,000 in attendance for its annual spring game.

Perhaps Nebraska has renewed optimism under new coach and former Cornhuskers quarterback Scott Frost.

In any case, Nebraska topped Georgia (82,184) and Alabama (74,732), the two teams that played in January’s national title game won by the Crimson Tide.

The SEC is the leading conference in spring attendance with more than 400,000 combined from its schools. Five of its programs — Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida and Texas A&M — finished in the top 10.

The Big Ten, which includes Nebraska, finished second. It was also helped by Penn State and Ohio State, which placed in the top 10.

—Brandon Wimbush, who lost his starting job as Notre Dame’s quarterback last season, appears to have won it back after a strong performance in the team’s spring game in South Bend, Ind.

Wimbush entered his junior year as the starter in 2017 but eventually gave way to redshirt freshman Ian Book, who helped the Fighting Irish win the Citrus Bowl.

The starting spot was wide open when Notre Dame started spring practice. However, Wimbush was named MVP of Saturday’s spring game after completing 19 of 33 passes for 341 yards with two touchdowns in a 47-44 win over the defense.

“It’s pretty clear that Brandon went out and got a chance to go with the first group and Ian played with the second group,” coach Brian Kelly told reporters after the game. “That’s not etched in stone, but that’s the way they’ve been trending. I don’t think there was anything today that changed that. … It’s 1A and 1B.”

—Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt wasn’t too pleased with what he saw following his team’s spring football game — neither his team nor the fans.

While Pruitt praised some players, he also said that others “flat-out quit.”

Pruitt didn’t stop there as he took issue with the estimated 65,000 fans at Neyland Stadium.

“To me, it’s kind of like our football team for the fans. The ones who were here, I’m proud they were here. They’re fired up. They’re ready to get going. Then there were some people who weren’t here that had legitimate reasons. They couldn’t be here. And then there were some people that (weren’t) here … why (weren’t) they here?

“It’s kind of like our football team. I think we all need to look in the mirror and see who we want to be.”